Prime Minister

Chapter 372
After returning home from Han Qi, Zhang Yue sat down and heard a visitor.

Zhang Yue had just been awarded the post of Jing Yan and said with a smile: "Just push away any visitors, I will have a good talk with my lady and have a glass of wine."

Seventeen Niang said: "Officials, it's like Cao You, my uncle, asking to see me."

Zhang Yue was taken aback when he heard this, and said, "I see you. Seeing my relatives privately, isn't my lady worried that I'm too big an official?"

Zhang Yue is very shy of seeing his relatives, he is hugging the official's thigh now, so how can he be ambiguous with these relatives.

"However, Uncle Guo is holding a post from Mr. Wen Liulang." Seventeen Niang said.

"Bunrokuro-kun?"

Zhang Yue wondered, Wen Jifu, as the prime minister's son, why was he so close to his relatives?But thinking about it is also relieved, Wen Yanbo was dismissed because he gave Shu Brocade to Concubine Zhang Guifei?

Wen Yanbo also promoted Zhang Yaozuo to four ranks in a row. In the eyes of Tang Jie and other officials, Wen Yanbo is really a traitor.

However, although the matter of collusion with the inner court is criticized, there are still many risks. After all, the greater the risk, the higher the profit!

Now that Cao You's visit was recommended by Wen Jifu, Zhang Yue had to be given a post in the library this time, but Wen Yanbo secretly helped him.

Seventeen Niang said: "Does the official want me to push?"

Zhang Yue said: "Is there someone peeping outside the lady's mansion?"

Shi Qiniang said: "Uncle Guo didn't use his guard of honor, he came to visit in private, and he walked through the back door of the side alley."

Zhang Yue hesitated for a moment and said: "Let people stare outside, so I will go to the back door to meet him in person."

Seventeen Niang nodded.

Zhang Yue came to the back door, and there was a wing room where the gatekeeper lived. Zhang Yue immediately sent the gatekeeper away, and asked Tang Jiu Wang Gong to keep the door open and not allow anyone to enter here, so he went to see Cao You in person.

"Uncle Guo, I came to the door late at night, what can I tell you?" Zhang Yue looked cautious.

Cao You was wearing a black cloak, and smiled at Zhang Yue: "I know that the number one scholar is not very happy to be at the Sutra feast, so I'm here to congratulate you."

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "A mere lecturer on Jingyan is not worthy of uncle Guo's visit."

Cao You said with a smile: "Passing around the house of the banquet official and serving the official, and going in and out of the palace, the future is expected to be prosperous, so why not be congratulated?"

Zhang Yue's smile faded gradually, but Cao You still had a smile on his face.

Zhang Yue said indifferently: "Uncle Guo's house is cold outside, let's talk inside."

After speaking, Zhang Yue and Cao You walked into the wing room together. This is the place where the back door doorman usually sits. It is even simple and has a bad smell.

An oil lamp was placed by the window, Zhang Yue and Cao You faced each other, the other's face looming in the darkness.This atmosphere is the same as the content of the conversation between the two, which is not visible.

Cao You said: "Does the champion know that I have a close relationship with Ouyang Gong?"

Zhang Yue said: "Know a thing or two."

"Do you know the relationship between the current empress and the King of Jingzhao County?"

"know."

"The number one scholar knows Duke Lu..."

Zhang Yue asked rhetorically, "Does Uncle Guo have any contacts with Lu Guogong (Wen Yanbo)?"

Cao You smiled and said: "It's not that Lu Guogong has contacts with Cao's family, but Lu Guogong has kindness to my Cao family. Does Zhuangyuan understand this truth?" "

Zhang Yue remembered one thing.

At the time of Henian, the official family was dying of illness.

As a result, both inside and outside the palace were discussing the establishment of a crown prince. One day, Wen Yanbo, who was the prime minister, entered the palace to meet the officials.The official pulled Wen Yanbo's sleeve and said, "The empress and Zhang Mao are plotting against each other!"

As soon as these words came out, Wen Yanbo and Zai Zhi were all pale.

Afterwards, the palace people rushed out one after another and told Wen Yanbo that the matter should be handled with caution.

Sometimes when Zhang Yue was studying history, if he was Wen Yanbo, how would he deal with this situation?
At that time Zhang Mao was about to commit suicide, Wen Yanbo said casually: "The Son of Heaven is sick, and what he said was nothing more than delirium in his illness. If you commit suicide, where will you put the queen?"

Wen Yanbo lightly exposed the matter of a delirium in illness. If it was true, Empress Cao might be in trouble at this time... Therefore, it is said that Wen Yanbo is kind to Empress Cao.

Cao Yudao: "At that time, the official's family was sick, and the rich minister told the queen about the establishment of the crown prince. The queen meant that she belonged to the thirteen regiments. At that time, Zhang Mao was the messenger between the queen and the rich minister. Wang Guangyuan, Cai Kang and the two of them secretly reported this matter to the official family, so the official family was sick and said to Lu Guogong that the queen and Zhang Mao were plotting a big rebellion, so the official family is not sick and confused."

Zhang Yue's expression changed slightly, and Cao You stripped the truth away sentence by sentence.

Did the queen and Zhang Mao rebel against each other?
All the officials thought that Wen Yanbo's official family disease was confused.

But are the officials confused?The emperor was still on the sick bed, and when he heard that the empress and the prime minister bypassed him to secretly discuss the crown prince, his first reaction was of course that he thought he was trying to usurp the throne.

The official's first reaction when facing a crisis, so he asked Wen Yanbo to get rid of Empress Cao and Zhang Maoze, at least to abolish the empress.

But Wen Yanbo calmed down, kept the position of Empress Cao, and protecting Empress Cao was like protecting Zhao Zongshi.

As for the officials after recovering from illness, it is true that Empress Cao and Fu Bi had no intention of treason.The emperor was seriously ill, and the East Palace had not yet been established. It was reasonable for the prime minister to ask the queen who would succeed her.

Cao You undoubtedly told him that both Wen Yanbo and the queen wanted Zhao Zongshi to ascend the throne.

Cao You said: "The officials know about this matter, several ministers also know about it, and many ministers in the court know about it, but everyone is tacitly aware of it. After this incident, the officials have already alienated the queen. What will happen to the Queen and Mr. Wen in the future, does Mr. Zhuangyuan know?"

"Then why does Uncle Guo value me so much and ask me for business?" Zhang Yue asked.

Cao Youdao: "Mr. Wen Liulang has repeatedly told me that Mr. Zhuangyuan is a person who can be trusted and relied on, and Ling Yue is also the person whom Mr. Wen trusts the most. Therefore, does Mr. Zhuangyuan understand the subtlety of serving Zhizhi this time?"

Zhang Yue said heartily, as expected, he was found.

Zhang Yue said: "Uncle Guo, today I met Han Xianggong and learned one thing. In the past, the banquet officials were recommended by Zhongshu, but this time they were hand-picked by the officials."

"I'm a poor man, appointed champion by His Majesty, and now I'm a storyteller in the Chongzheng Palace, going in and out of the palace, what does Your Majesty believe? Your Majesty believes that I am neither party nor party, not Wen, Han, or Fu. Under the curtain. At the beginning, I was recommended by Wen Xianggong to join the library, but if Uncle Ruoguo threatened me with this, I will resign from office at worst."

When Cao You heard the words, he said in dismay: "Mr. Zhuangyuan, why is this necessary? Establishing a reserve position early is also beneficial to the country. Wouldn't it be good for the champion to repay His Majesty's kindness?"

Zhang Yue said: "If it is beneficial to the country, uncle Guo doesn't need to say it, and I will do the same. If it is not good for the country, even if uncle Guo says it, I can't do it."

Cao You asked, "What does the champion mean?"

Zhang Yue said: "If your majesty asks me about the reserve position, of course I would advise him to stand up early, but I won't say a word about whether you want to belong to the thirteenth regiment."

When Cao You heard the words, he said as if he was relieved: "That's all right, Mr. Zhuangyuan, Mr. Wen and the empress really saw the right person."

Zhang Yue said: "Don't dare, it's late at night, uncle Guo has nothing to do, please come back early!"

Cao You nodded and said, "Then the champion, I will take my leave."

That night, he went to Prince Pu's mansion.

Gao Taotao glanced at her sleeping husband Zhao Zongshi and quietly got up.

But she saw a maid sent her a secret letter. This maid was dumb and could not read. She was the one who secretly went in and out of Uncle Cao's house for Gao Taotao on weekdays.

After Gao Taotao read the letter under the lamp, he said to himself: "The empress did not misunderstand the person, Zhang Yue is really not someone who can be easily persuaded, otherwise His Majesty would not have taken a fancy to him at the beginning and called him into the court The feast is over."

As soon as Gao Taotao spoke, she felt a heavy weight on her back. She was startled and turned her head, only to see her husband Zhao Zongshi got up at some point and put his clothes on him.

"Did you hear?"

Zhao Zongshi said: "These days I sleep very lightly, I will know when you are up, I am afraid... I am afraid that someone will harm us."

Gao Taotao shook her head, looking at her husband's pitiful appearance, she really couldn't think of the meaning of being an emperor like this?
Zhao Zongshi said leisurely: "Officials have the knowledge of knowing people and doing good work. Others once said that they can't do anything, but they can only be officials. He never makes mistakes in judging people, otherwise Zhang Yue would not be trusted by him. At this juncture It's time for the Sutra banquet."

Gao Tao said: "Although the officials are good at looking at people, I also have a way. Now I have asked Zhong Zhen to be Zhang Yue's student. When the right time comes, I will expose this matter with him, and then let him stand on our side!"

Zhao Zongshi was taken aback when he heard the words: "I also said that you really went to worship under Zhang Yue's sect because you wanted to learn calligraphy with needles. Your lady is really clever."

Gao Taotao said with a smile: "How can I be so smart? The empress is still smart. It was she who sent the news that the person she placed next to the official's house found the words written in the ashes of the official's daily handwriting practice. The remaining pages of Yue Er."

"So I guessed this matter. Later, when he joined the library, I remembered the story of Shangshan Sihao, so I let Zhen'er worship Zhang Yue."

Zhao Zongshi said: "In the past, Liu Bang, the great ancestor of the Han Dynasty, wanted to abolish the prince Liu Ying. Empress Lu used Zhang Liang's plan to ask Liu Ying to worship Shangshan Sihao as her teacher. The lady actually imitated Empress Lu's old wisdom. I would never have thought of such a thing. "

Using Zhang Yue as Zhao Zhongzhen's teacher to divert his point of view is Gao Taotao's plan for a rainy day.

Gao Taotao sighed: "But Mr. Zhuangyuan is also cautious. He only lets Zhen'er call him Mr., not teacher, and invites several people to accompany him to read."

Zhao Zongshi smiled wryly and said: "Maybe it's because the sky doesn't help me, lady, why bother to plot these things again, let it be."

Gao Taotao said: "Officials, I also want to let it be, but you and I are in a situation where you can't take a step back. Now the officials are very suspicious, and the fact that the Empress Dowager Zhang Xian listened to the government behind the curtain made the officials suspicious of the current queen. She also wants to emulate Zhang Xian."

"Actually, not only the empress, but even many old people in the palace, the officials have become estranged these years. Few of the courtiers can talk to him, let alone find out his mind."

"This time the official ordered Zhang Yue to attend the banquet and let Sima Guangxiu live, because he valued the character of these two people. If they can say a few words in front of the emperor, then your official position will be as soon as possible. It is hopeful."

Zhao Zongshi was silent for a while when he heard the words, and poured a glass of wine.

Gao Taotao accompanied her husband silently, and the husband and wife spent another sleepless night.

(End of this chapter)